Washing machine

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a washing machine. The washing machine includes tub receiving wash water, a heater heating the wash water, and a heater cover surrounding the heater. The washing machine can prevent damage of a tub even when the heater is separated from the tub during operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to washing machines, and more particularlyto a washing machine that can prevent damage of a tub.

2. Description of the Related Art

A washing machine includes a tub within a cabinet, which defines anappearance of the washing machine. The tub is supported by a damperconnected to a lower side of the cabinet and has a drum rotatablydisposed therein. The drum is formed at lower and lateral sides thereofwith a plurality of holes through which wash water in the tub can freelyflow between the drum and the tub to remove dirt from laundry.

The washing machine includes a heater located near the bottom of the tubto heat wash water. Further, the washing machine is provided with acontroller which controls operation of the heater by turning the heateron or off based on the temperature of wash water detected by atemperature sensor.

During a washing operation, the heater can be dropped to the bottom ofthe tub. As a result, the heater damages the tub and electric wires onthe bottom of the tub, thereby causing malfunction of the washingmachine and fire.

Since wash water is heated by the heater, the operation of the heater islimited by the temperature to which the wash water is heated. In aconventional washing machine, heated wash water is circulated only byconvection, so that the temperature of the wash water received in thetub cannot be accurately detected. Since such circulation of the washwater causes the wash water around the heater to be overheated, theheater is repetitiously turned-on and off to heat the wash water to apreset temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is conceived to solve the problems of theconventional washing machine as described above, and an aspect of thepresent invention is to provide a washing machine that can preventdamage of a tub even when a heater is separated from the tub.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a washing machinethat can forcibly circulate heated wash water.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a washing machineincludes: a tub receiving wash water; a heater heating the wash water;and a heater cover surrounding the heater.

The heater cover may be formed with an insertion hole into which theheater is inserted.

The heater cover may be formed to surround a lower side of the heater.

The heater cover may be formed to surround an entirety of the heater ata distance from the heater.

The heater cover may be formed with a penetration hole which is incommunication with the tub.

The tub may have a protrusion formed outwardly on a lower side thereofto receive the heater cover inside the protrusion. The washing machinemay further include a pump which is in communication with theprotrusion. The washing machine may further include a circulation pipewhich is in communication with the pump and an upper side of the tub,and a discharge pipe which is in communication with the pump and anoutside of the washing machine. The washing machine may further includea selective blocking part selectively blocking the circulation pipe andthe discharge pipe.

The heater cover may be made of a thermally resistant material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following description of apreferred embodiment given in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heater cover of the washing machineaccording to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view of a selective blocking part of the washing machineaccording to the embodiment of the present invention, in which theselective blocking part blocks a circulation pipe of the washingmachine; and

FIG. 4 is a view of the selective blocking part of the washing machineaccording to the embodiment of the present invention, in which theselective blocking part blocks a discharge pipe of the washing machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Thedrawings may be exaggerated in thickness of lines or scale of componentsfor the purpose of descriptive convenience and clarity only.Furthermore, terms used herein should be defined in consideration offunctions of components of the present invention and thus can be changedaccording to the custom or intention of users or operators. Therefore,definition of such terms should be determined according to overalldisclosures set forth herein.

FIG. 1 is a view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of theinvention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heater cover of the washingmachine according to the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a view of a selectiveblocking part of the washing machine according to the embodiment, inwhich the selective blocking part blocks a circulation pipe of thewashing machine, and FIG. 4 is a view of the selective blocking part ofthe washing machine according to the embodiment, in which the selectiveblocking part blocks a discharge pipe.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the washing machine includes a tub 110receiving wash water, a drum 111 within the tub 110, a heater 130heating the wash water, a heater cover 120 surrounding the heater 130, awater supply part W supplying the wash water into the tub 110, and acontroller (not shown) controlling operation of the washing machine.

A damper D is provided between a cabinet C and the tub 110 to absorbvibration or impact caused by rotation of the drum 111 or by laundryfalling within the drum 111.

The tub 110 has a protrusion 115 formed on a lower side of the tub 110.That is, the protrusion 115 is formed on an outer lower surface of thetub 110. The heater cover 120 is located within the protrusion 115. Theheater cover 120 is configured to surround the heater 130 whilepreventing the heater 130 from contacting the tub 110. The heater cover120 may be formed to surround upper and lower sides of the heater 130,or to surround the entirety of the heater at a distance from the heater130, as shown in FIG. 2. Since the heater 130 is located within theheater cover 120, the heater cover 120 may be formed of a thermallyresistant material. In this embodiment, the heater cover 120 is madefrom a SUS material which is resistant to moisture and heat.

The heater cover 120 is formed with a penetration hole 121 which is incommunication with the tub 110. Wash water flows into the heater cover120 through the penetration hole 121 or flows from the heater cover 120through the penetration hole 121 after being heated. Further, the heatercover 120 is formed with an insertion hole 123 into which the heater 130is inserted.

In this embodiment, the heater 130 is secured to the tub 110 by a heaterbracket (not shown). Such a securing manner is apparent to those skilledin the art and a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.The heater 130 is inserted into the insertion hole 123 formed in theheater cover 120 and is disposed within the heater cover 120 to heatwash water flowing into the heater cover 120 through the penetrationhole 121.

The pump 140 forces wash water received in the tub 110 to move. The pump140 is in communication with the protrusion 115 through a movement pipe141. Further, the pump 140 is in communication with an upper side of thetub 110 through a circulation pipe 143 and is in communication with theoutside of the washing machine through a discharge pipe 145. Wash waterintroduced into the pump 140 is selectively moved to the circulationpipe 143 or the discharge pipe 145 by a selective blocking part 150.

Wash water heated during a washing cycle is moved to the tub 110 throughthe movement pipe 141, pump 140 and circulation pipe 143 by operation ofthe pump 140. Accordingly, the wash water heated by the heater 130 iscirculated not only by convection, but is also forcibly circulated bythe pump 140. This circulation manner allows the heated wash water to berapidly mixed with non-heated wash water, thereby preventing the washwater from being overheated while reducing heating time. Further, thiscirculation manner can prevent the controller from turning-off theheater 130 by preventing the wash water near the heater 130 from beingrapidly overheated, and can reduce an amount of detergent deposits byhelping to mix a detergent with the wash water through forciblecirculation of the wash water.

The selective blocking part 150 selectively blocks the circulation pipe143 and the discharge pipe 145. In this embodiment, the selectiveblocking part 150 includes a blocking member 151 and an arm 153. Theblocking member 151 selectively blocks the circulation pipe 143 and thedischarge pipe 145 to allow wash water to be introduced into the tub 110through the circulation pipe 143 or to be discharged outside through thedischarge pipe 145. The arm 153 is mounted on the blocking member 151,and selectively opens or closes the circulation pipe 143 or thedischarge pipe 145 in association with a left or right movement of theblocking member 151. In this embodiment, the selective blocking part 150is a hydraulic cylinder. However, the selective blocking part 150 can bemodified in various forms such as solenoid valves and the like.

As apparent from the above description, according to an embodiment ofthe invention, the washing machine may prevent fire and damage of a tubeven when a heater is separated from the tub.

According to the embodiment of the invention, the washing machine heatswash water while circulating the wash water, thereby preventing the washwater from being rapidly overheated.

According to the embodiment of the invention, the washing machine heatswash water while circulating the wash water, thereby reducing heatingtime.

According to the embodiment of the invention, the washing machine heatswash water while circulating the wash water, so that the wash wateraround the heater can be prevented from being rapidly overheated andfrequent on/off of the heater by rapid temperature variation can also beprevented, thereby preventing malfunction of the heater.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to theembodiments and the accompanying drawings, these are given by way ofillustration only, and, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat various modifications and other equivalent embodiments can be madewithout departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore,the scope and spirit of the invention should be limited only by theclaims set forth as follows.

1. A washing machine comprising: a tub receiving wash water; a heaterheating the wash water; and a heater cover surrounding the heater. 2.The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the heater cover isformed with an insertion hole into which the heater is inserted.
 3. Thewashing machine according to claim 1, wherein the heater cover is formedto surround a lower side of the heater.
 4. The washing machine accordingto claim 1, wherein the heater cover is formed to surround an entiretyof the heater at a distance from the heater.
 5. The washing machineaccording to claim 1, wherein the heater cover is formed with apenetration hole which is in communication with the tub.
 6. The washingmachine according to claim 1, wherein the tub has a protrusion formedoutwardly on a lower side thereof to receive the heater cover inside theprotrusion.
 7. The washing machine according to claim 6, furthercomprising: a pump which is in communication with the protrusion.
 8. Thewashing machine according to claim 7, further comprising: a circulationpipe which is in communication with the pump and an upper side of thetub; and a discharge pipe which is in communication with the pump and anoutside of the washing machine.
 9. The washing machine according toclaim 8, further comprising: a selective blocking part selectivelyblocking the circulation pipe and the discharge pipe
 10. The washingmachine according to claim 1, wherein the heater cover is made of athermally resistant material.